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Dave Johnson
Guest
can't believe they spawn in stillwaters.....more like they have just stocked smaller fish!
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Dean Hill
Guest
any things possible with Mr.Makin. So im told.
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Stewart Bloor
Guest
I'm with the Barbel Society and Barbel Catchers Club on this one. I think the place for barbel is in the rivers - a future Pilgrim's Progress is earmarked for the subject, so I must be a man with his finger on the pulse....
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Dave Johnson
Guest
mmmm. me thinks you have been preaching to Mr Alan Roe.
Today he fished a stillwater and in the name of fish welfare actually 'despatched 'all five barbel that he caught.......to save them from a life in a carp puddle where they do not belong
not impressed.
And Dave Preston just about managed to catch at the end of the session but refused to hand over his barbel.
Blimey. not sure why Roe is not sleeping with the fishes at Cudmore tonite....
Today he fished a stillwater and in the name of fish welfare actually 'despatched 'all five barbel that he caught.......to save them from a life in a carp puddle where they do not belong
not impressed.
And Dave Preston just about managed to catch at the end of the session but refused to hand over his barbel.
Blimey. not sure why Roe is not sleeping with the fishes at Cudmore tonite....
M
martin BATEY
Guest
No! There is no fight in them. They are like a dead weight ploughing across the bottom. The gentleman above was right about commercial greed.
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Stewart Bloor
Guest
Ron, in answer your question in the opening mail, concerning barbel in reservoirs, I quote from the Barbel Society ''Thousands of small barbel have entered Trimpley reservoir via an inlet from the River Severn yet Trimpley is not full of large barbel! If only 10% of them had entered a suitable habitat there would have been a barbel explosion''
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Paul Williams
Guest
Sedge, i have long known of the Trimpley barbs, Trimpley isn't a very rich water as far as fish (any fish!) growth is concerned so i don't think it's a particulary good water to compare how barbs would fair growth wise in stillwater.......over all i am certainly against barbs in muddy pools but i must confess i do wonder how they would fair in a rich, clean, weedy Southern gravel pit......naughty aint i? i'll never be invited into the BC!!!! 
)
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Phil Husselbury
Guest
Paul,
Thanks so much for the info re: Severn carp. Do you remember a BBC TV fishing programme from the 1970s called The Fishing Race? where the contestants had to catch as many species as possible? We were fishing along those lines as we were likely to encounter fish like bleak that one did not encounter further North. I got sideways glances all the way home for catching a carp. I still lost mind as Neil had barbel and an eel. We both also caught roach, dace, chub and gudgeon. Happy days!
Thanks so much for the info re: Severn carp. Do you remember a BBC TV fishing programme from the 1970s called The Fishing Race? where the contestants had to catch as many species as possible? We were fishing along those lines as we were likely to encounter fish like bleak that one did not encounter further North. I got sideways glances all the way home for catching a carp. I still lost mind as Neil had barbel and an eel. We both also caught roach, dace, chub and gudgeon. Happy days!
R
Ron Clay
Guest
Both the Barbus kimberleyensis, capensis and holubi of South Africa do very well in large still waters provided there is an inlet stream where they can spawn. They need fast water flowing over gravel for this.
In Sterkfonfontein Dam, Barbus holubi are awsome. They reach weight up to 15kg and fight with a power that has to be experienced to be believed. One of the most effective ways of catching these fish is with a fly, on beefed up tackle of course.
I've caught them on crabs, sweetcorn, various pastes, bread and small livebaits. They love taking dry flies.
In Sterkfonfontein Dam, Barbus holubi are awsome. They reach weight up to 15kg and fight with a power that has to be experienced to be believed. One of the most effective ways of catching these fish is with a fly, on beefed up tackle of course.
I've caught them on crabs, sweetcorn, various pastes, bread and small livebaits. They love taking dry flies.
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Paul Williams
Guest
Phil,
Sounds like fun! i'll have to suggest it amongst a few pals.
Sounds like fun! i'll have to suggest it amongst a few pals.
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Paul Williams
Guest
Ron,
i presume that the barbel you speak of have evolved to that particular habitat....small muddy pools in the uk aint the best place for our barbel imo.
I am however open to disscussion on the type of water i mentioned for UK barbel and i would be interested in what others think.
i presume that the barbel you speak of have evolved to that particular habitat....small muddy pools in the uk aint the best place for our barbel imo.
I am however open to disscussion on the type of water i mentioned for UK barbel and i would be interested in what others think.
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Alan Roe
Guest
Cough!! Splutter!!I did not kill all the barbel in Cudmore I gave them to Eddie to have with his chips wrapped up in the Angling Star!!!!!!It was the deep fat fryer that did for them!!
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Philip Inzani
Guest
I tend to agree with Ron here. My understanding was that the Barbel in Trimpley where breeding...but this was due to the water having an inlet allowing a "flow" so to speak. Someone knowing Trimpley personally may be able to confirm that better.
Although I have never fished for Barbel in stillwaters, I have not really made up my mind about it yet. I see the whole debate as being similar to the one about importing forgein Carp....basically good or bad its already here to stay.
Although I have never fished for Barbel in stillwaters, I have not really made up my mind about it yet. I see the whole debate as being similar to the one about importing forgein Carp....basically good or bad its already here to stay.
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Paul Williams
Guest
Philip,
I'm not sure if the barbs in Trimpley are breeding, it could just be that it continuly gets topped up with barbel fry from the Severn, they certainly seem to want to explore new potential homes.....are they more adaptable than we think?.....i will certainly keep an open mind rather than a sentimental one!
I'm not sure if the barbs in Trimpley are breeding, it could just be that it continuly gets topped up with barbel fry from the Severn, they certainly seem to want to explore new potential homes.....are they more adaptable than we think?.....i will certainly keep an open mind rather than a sentimental one!
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Paul Williams
Guest
Alan.....i hear gobys where once the fish of kings, so perhaps Eddie felt like a king, the rest of the Scousers did!!
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Philip Inzani
Guest
It is interesting....I know some of the European varietes can be found in some very land locked waters and do "appear" to breed there, but again its difficult to be positive. Does anyone know if any studies have been carried out on this?
Actually the point about fish nicking is also interesting, I think its happening in the Barbel world to a far greater degree than is probably imagined.
.....its another parallel between Carp and Barbel that I think we can do without!
Actually the point about fish nicking is also interesting, I think its happening in the Barbel world to a far greater degree than is probably imagined.
.....its another parallel between Carp and Barbel that I think we can do without!
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Rob Brownfield
Guest
All very interesting views. Mine is this. Barbel will find there way into pits, ponds etc due to flooding, the same way that Carp have found themselves in rivers. I think most species of fish can adapt themselves to differing environments quite easily, just look at how well Gudgeon do in stillwaters (Redmire for one) and Chub. Salmon are another example. Now there is a truely river species, but they will live in an enclosed stillwater and are stocked into some fisheries down south.
I am not keen on barbel being stocked into commercial fisheries, but then again, I am not keen on this tye of fishery anyway. It does not matter what the fish species is, they should not be stocked into muddy holes at the levels they are....and we only have ourselves to blame.
Why wont some of u guys fish for stillwater Barbel...is it the fact they are dumped in unsuitable stillwaters (muddy pools)..or something else?
I am not keen on barbel being stocked into commercial fisheries, but then again, I am not keen on this tye of fishery anyway. It does not matter what the fish species is, they should not be stocked into muddy holes at the levels they are....and we only have ourselves to blame.
Why wont some of u guys fish for stillwater Barbel...is it the fact they are dumped in unsuitable stillwaters (muddy pools)..or something else?
R
Ron Clay
Guest
A friend of mine who has caught lots of barbel on the tidal Trent, tells me that on the rare occasion that he has hooked barbel when river is stood still, they have hardly fought at all.
I have caught many yellowfish in the very large impoundments in South Africa and they have fought magnificently.
I have also caught lots of chub from gravel pits that have been in the most wonderful condition and have fought harder than river chub.
Stillwater barbel will definitely become more common, especially as fish farms can supply them to commercial fisheries. In the right conditions they could become a very worthwhile quarry
I have caught many yellowfish in the very large impoundments in South Africa and they have fought magnificently.
I have also caught lots of chub from gravel pits that have been in the most wonderful condition and have fought harder than river chub.
Stillwater barbel will definitely become more common, especially as fish farms can supply them to commercial fisheries. In the right conditions they could become a very worthwhile quarry
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Martin James
Guest
Ron I call fly fishing fluff chucking and have done so for years what's wrong with that?. We have far more important things to deal with. I am off fluff chucking for stripers later this month and it will be great fun Cheers Martin James
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Stewart Bloor
Guest
In reference to fish adapting to stillwaters, each species of fish is very different. For example, barbel require a lethal concentration of oxygen twice that of tench.
Whenever barbel have been legitimately introduced into rivers, they have thrived. For example, the 100 miles of prime Severn barbel fishing is as a direct result of just 509 barbel being stocked in 1956.
But I won't too much more, I'll have nothing to write about in PP....
Paul, I thought about your observation regarding the habitat at Trimpley. What about the lower Severn, that's not 'rich' water. There isn't the abundance of streamer weed etc that you get on many other rivers. Yet, the barbel thrive - as we know...How would you answer that (This isn't a 'trick' question by the way, just interested in answers)
Whenever barbel have been legitimately introduced into rivers, they have thrived. For example, the 100 miles of prime Severn barbel fishing is as a direct result of just 509 barbel being stocked in 1956.
But I won't too much more, I'll have nothing to write about in PP....
Paul, I thought about your observation regarding the habitat at Trimpley. What about the lower Severn, that's not 'rich' water. There isn't the abundance of streamer weed etc that you get on many other rivers. Yet, the barbel thrive - as we know...How would you answer that (This isn't a 'trick' question by the way, just interested in answers)